Looking for a Disc ID

No single DVD identifier will really work for cuts.com because we need to be able to strike a balance between being able to apply a cut to the same feature on different versions of the disc, and identifying discs uniquely. So as we build our database we need to record as much relevant information from each disc; although we could take this information and hash it into, say, a 64 or 128 bit identifier, keeping the component parts will let us fine tune our disc matching algorithm over time.

I propose the following data and matching order. The first two are probably sufficient in most cases, and in most case, matching all of them will likely be too restrictive.

The only problem is that there are discs which are the same from a cuts.com perspective that vary in all other ways that I can identify them - the separately boxed and released standard and widescreen formats of the same movie (versus the special edition box that has them both). There must be a way to resolve this; maybe they can be independently recorded on cuts.com but linked to the same set of cuts somehow.

match element example 1 example 2 comment
1. Volume name RETURN_KING_EXT_D1 Finding Nemo

Name of the disc. These have so far shown to uniquely identify the box of multi-disc set, at least. Movies that span multiple discs or have multiple movies per box have shown to (so far anyway) to have a unique volume name per disc. Boxes that have a feature and a bonus disc frequently have the same volume name.
2. number of titles + title 1-5 chapters 033737030000 993301944902

The combination of volume name and title/chapter info so far uniquely identifies movies (not discs) in my collection. Most cuts will only need to match this far - but do we really need chapters 1-5 ? Is 1-12 better?

Title and chapter numbers are 2 digits and zero padded in this string

3. region codes (bitmask) 0xfe = 1111 1110
(1)		 0xf6 = 1111 0110
(1 and 4)

Discs can be multiregion - the zero holds the (least significant) place of the region number. I have found several - Finding Nemo and Toy Story are 1 and 4 (region 4 is Australia/New Zealand), and several of the Ray Harryhausen discs are regions 1, 3 and 4. We don't know how regional differences in movies will affect cuts. Audio and muting probably.

4. video format NTSC NTSC

I doubt we will have access to PAL discs to compare, but they may be different, so we ought to be able at at least to know the format in case.

5. modification date (of VIDEO_TS directory) 040020040913175518 040020030724202623

DVD Video is stored in the directory VIDEO_TS, its last modified date seems consistent and unique, and will undoubtedly vary among differnt pressings of the same discs (so I've heard) and among variations of the discs and in different packaging - eg special edition versus original release.

this string is produce with the stdlib C function strftime() with format string %z%Y%m%d%H%M%S (timezone year month day hour minute second)

The Unix ctime() value below is an alternate form, number of seconds since the unix epoch, 00:00:00 jan 1 1970

Volume Name titles & chapters regions format modified date text ctime() mod date string comment
Finding Nemo 993301944902 f6 NTSC 2003-07-24 20:26:23 -0400 1059092783 -040020030724202623 2 disc
Finding Nemo 513301010405 f6 NTSC 2003-07-25 16:00:42 -0400 1059163242 -040020030725160042
RETURN_KING_EXT_D1033737030000 fe NTSC 2004-09-13 17:55:18 -0400 1095112518 -040020040913175518 extended ed. movie 1+2
RETURN_KING_EXT_D2034343020000 fe NTSC 2004-09-17 22:14:03 -0400 1095473643 -040020040917221403
RETURN_KING_EXT_D3760201540708 fe NTSC 2004-09-30 00:09:54 -0400 1096517394 -040020040930000954 extended ed. extras 1+2
RETURN_KING_EXT_D4160201011511 fe NTSC 2004-09-29 23:01:28 -0400 1096513288 -040020040929230128
SHREK_2_US_16X9830301010103 fe NTSC 2004-06-26 03:39:00 -0400 1088235540 -040020040626033900
KIKIS_DELIVERY_SERVICE220202020202 fe NTSC 2003-03-18 22:11:07 -0500 1048043467 -050020030318221107
TWO_TOWERS_EXT_D1033131020000 fe NTSC 2003-09-02 21:37:53 -0400 1062553073 -040020030902213753 extended ed. movie 1+2
TWO_TOWERS_EXT_D2023939000000 fe NTSC 2003-08-28 19:18:50 -0400 1062112730 -040020030828191850
TWO_TOWERS_EXT_D3570201471108 fe NTSC 2003-09-15 19:45:29 -0400 1063669529 -040020030915194529 extended ed. extras 1+2
TWO_TOWERS_EXT_D4240201051507 fe NTSC 2003-09-15 21:02:20 -0400 1063674140 -040020030915210220
FELLOWSHIP_EXT_D1032828020000 fe NTSC 2002-08-20 05:13:22 -0400 1029834802 -040020020820051322 extended ed. movie 1+2
FELLOWSHIP_EXT_D2032222020000 fe NTSC 2002-08-20 20:45:57 -0400 1029890757 -040020020820204557
FELLOWSHIP_EXT_D3620203100201 fe NTSC 2002-08-30 21:14:06 -0400 1030756446 -040020020830211406 extended ed. extras 1+2
FELLOWSHIP_EXT_D4220202020201 fe NTSC 2002-08-30 22:55:31 -0400 1030762531 -040020020830225531
THE_GODFATHER022301000000 fe NTSC 2001-04-27 18:06:44 -0400 988409204 -040020010427180644 box
GODFATHER_PART2_A021601000000 fe NTSC 2001-05-25 01:04:30 -0400 990767070 -040020010525010430
GODFATHER_PART2_B021401000000 fe NTSC 2001-05-23 23:06:37 -0400 990673597 -040020010523230637
GODFATHER_III022501000000 fe NTSC 2001-06-20 19:28:37 -0400 993079717 -040020010620192837
GODFATHER_EXTRAS570102020202 fe NTSC 2002-04-25 17:37:29 -0400 1019770649 -040020020425173729
Monsters, Inc.233301020102 fe NTSC 2002-05-28 14:54:48 -0400 1022612088 -040020020528145448 2 disc
Monsters, Inc.995707020202 fe NTSC 2002-05-21 21:31:38 -0400 1022031098 -040020020521213138
KINGDOM_OF_HEAVEN_D1_169074703030202 fe NTSC 2005-08-02 03:47:06 -0400 1122968826 -040020050802034706 2 disc
KINGDOMOFHEAVEN_D2085302020902 fe NTSC 2005-07-25 04:32:06 -0400 1122280326 -040020050725043206
OFFICE_SPACE032902010000 fe NTSC 1999-05-21 19:43:56 -0400 927330236 -040019990521194356
BLADE_RUNNER_4X3_NA023601000000 fe NTSC 1997-02-07 17:34:00 -0500 855354840 -050019970207173400 double side disc
BLADE_RUNNER_16X9023601000000 fe NTSC 1997-02-15 21:44:10 -0500 856061050 -050019970215214410
PIRATES_OF_THE_CARRIBEAN541722340202 fe NTSC 2003-10-01 02:31:07 -0400 1064989867 -040020031001023107 2 disc
PIRATES_OF_THE_CARIBBEAN601512100202 fe NTSC 2003-10-06 20:45:14 -0400 1065487514 -040020031006204514
BABE111702020201 fe NTSC 2003-08-04 19:28:30 -0400 1060039710 -040020030804192830 special edition box
BABECITY061919010101 fe NTSC 1999-03-16 00:38:40 -0500 921562720 -050019990316003840
SPONGEBOB_DISC1240202020202 fe NTSC 2003-09-08 22:27:42 -0400 1063074462 -040020030908222742 season 1
SPONGEBOB_DISC2220202020202 fe NTSC 2003-09-08 21:11:18 -0400 1063069878 -040020030908211118
SPONGEBOB_DISC3330202020202 fe NTSC 2003-09-12 04:14:03 -0400 1063354443 -040020030912041403
DVD_VIDEO 171801010101 fe NTSC2004-07-29 19:55:44 -0400 1091145344 -040020040729195544 Spongebob season 2 set
DVD_VIDEO 161601010101 fe NTSC2004-07-30 12:40:09 -0400 1091205609 -040020040730124009
DVD_VIDEO 151101010101 fe NTSC2004-08-18 13:46:15 -0400 1092851175 -040020040818134615
SNOW_WHITE 282802010202 fe NTSC2001-08-02 16:03:53 -0400 996782633 -040020010802160353 2 disc
SNOWWHITE_BONUS 744658687502 fe NTSC2001-07-30 19:33:06 -0400 996535986 -040020010730193306
Beauty and the Beast 200225020802 fe NTSC2002-07-26 22:46:54 -0400 1027738014 -040020020726224654 2 disc
Beauty and the Beast 723919120202 fe NTSC2002-07-19 21:54:55 -0400 1027130095 -040020020719215455
CND0NNW1 400302020102 fe NTSC2005-06-22 02:47:02 -0400 1119422822 -040020050622024702 Cinderella
CND0NNS1 802203020304 fe NTSC2005-06-21 23:42:28 -0400 1119411748 -040020050621234228
LST0NNT1 310801140810 fe NTSC2005-08-01 16:50:16 -0400 1122929416 -040020050801165016 LOST season 1 box
LST-0N-NT2 321001100910 fe NTSC2005-08-01 19:15:28 -0400 1122938128 -040020050801191528
LST0NNT3 320801101009 fe NTSC2005-08-01 19:40:54 -0400 1122939654 -040020050801194054
LST0NNT4 321001100909 fe NTSC2005-08-01 19:53:27 -0400 1122940407 -040020050801195327
LST0NNT5 320901101010 fe NTSC2005-08-01 20:01:06 -0400 1122940866 -040020050801200106
lst0nnt6 321001091013 fe NTSC2005-08-01 22:36:41 -0400 1122950201 -040020050801223641
lst0nnt7 611903030202 fe NTSC2005-07-21 21:58:59 -0400 1121997539 -040020050721215859
TOY_STORY 103102030102 f6 NTSC2000-08-09 10:40:58 -0400 965832058 -040020000809104058 2 disc
TOY2_43 143636020210 f6 NTSC2000-08-17 14:15:52 -0400 966536152 -040020000817141552
DVD_VIDEO 012800000000 fe NTSC1998-05-11 18:07:31 -0400 894924451 -040019980511180731 Jason and the Argonauts
widescreen (side 1)
DVD_VIDEO 012800000000 fe NTSC1998-05-11 19:14:10 -0400 894928450 -040019980511191410 Jason and the Argonauts
standard (side 2)
DVD_VIDEO 052802020202 f2 NTSC1999-10-13 13:42:50 -0400 939836570 -040019991013134250 The 7th Voyage of Sinbad
SINBAD_AND_EYE_OF_THE_TIGER 093002020202 f2 NTSC2000-05-12 18:50:14 -0400 958171814 -040020000512185014
DVD_VIDEO 052802020202 f2 NTSC2000-04-07 20:51:32 -0400 955155092 -040020000407205132 The Golden Voyage of Sinbad
disc side 1 & 2 (wide/standard)
DVD_VIDEO 052802020202 f2 NTSC2000-04-07 21:17:14 -0400 955156634 -040020000407211714
3_WORLDS_OF_GULLIVER 082802020202 f2 NTSC2002-01-30 17:09:06 -0500 1012428546 -050020020130170906
INDIANA_JONES_RAIDERS_LOST_ARK 093102010110 fe NTSC2003-07-02 23:31:12 -0400 1057203072 -040020030702233112 4 disc box
INDIANAJONES_TOD_169 093110190103 fe NTSC2003-06-16 04:16:08 -0400 1055751368 -040020030616041608
LAST_CRUSADE_169 093602100119 fe NTSC2003-06-26 02:07:22 -0400 1056607642 -040020030626020722
INDIANAJONES_BONUS_DISC4 190102020102 fe NTSC2003-07-27 21:58:51 -0400 1059357531 -040020030727215851
E1780 070102190707 fe NTSC2003-03-10 10:15:03 -0500 1047309303 -050020030310101503 Life of Mammals
4 disc set
E1781 060102190707 fe NTSC2003-03-10 09:05:10 -0500 1047305110 -050020030310090510
E1782 080102130701 fe NTSC2003-03-12 08:18:04 -0500 1047475084 -050020030312081804
E1783 080102130701 fe NTSC2003-03-13 09:27:23 -0500 1047565643 -050020030313092723
THE_PRINCESS_BRIDE 032902040000 fe NTSC2000-04-20 15:29:53 -0400 956258993 -040020000420152953 2 side disc (wide, standard)
THE_PRINCESS_BRIDE 032902040000 fe NTSC2000-04-25 16:08:58 -0400 956693338 -040020000425160858
WINNIE_THE_POOH 312204110202 f6 NTSC2002-04-01 22:08:11 -0500 1017716891 -050020020401220811
GLADIATOR_SE_DISC1 312929020202 fe NTSC2005-07-10 23:19:42 -0400 1121051982 -040020050710231942
GLADIATOR_SE_DISC2 130902020202 fe NTSC2005-06-24 05:32:40 -0400 1119605560 -040020050624053240
GLADIATOR_SE_DISC3 420202030202 fe NTSC2005-07-14 01:39:49 -0400 1121319589 -040020050714013949
Homeland 084714110810 40 NTSC2005-10-24 19:58:05 -0400 1130198285 -040020051024195805
MONTY_PYTHON_THE_HOLY_GRAIL 022802000000 fe NTSC2001-09-18 12:41:41 -0400 1000831301 -040020010918124141 2 disc special edition
DVD_VIDEO 120202020202 fe NTSC2001-09-01 10:10:09 -0400 999353409 -040020010901101009
A_NEW_HOPE 165102020101 fe NTSC2004-06-16 23:14:58 -0400 1087442098 -040020040616231458 4 disc box
EMPIRE_STRIKES_BACK 155102020101 fe NTSC2004-05-13 02:26:12 -0400 1084429572 -040020040513022612
RETURN_OF_THE_JEDI 155102020101 fe NTSC2004-06-15 00:36:12 -0400 1087274172 -040020040615003612
STAR_WARS_BONUS_DISC 381302020102 fe NTSC2004-06-14 23:11:36 -0400 1087269096 -040020040614231136
SHREK 432102020202 fe NTSC2001-08-28 11:33:02 -0400 999012782 -040020010828113302